I have a nasty coolant smell and moisture (on the windshield and side glass) coming out of right side defroster and dash vents. There is a fair amount of coolant in the foam insulation for the heater core and A/C lines in the passenger side footwell but no wet carpet.

If you've got that a LOT of liquid, then it's the heater core for sure. They always seem to go out in the winter when you're using them a lot.

Did it break all of a sudden or was it over time slowly? I try to use the alumaseal stuff, that I know ... you're not supposed to use anymore ... but it's worked for me time and time again as a temp fix that even has lasted 6 months.

I have a nasty coolant smell and moisture (on the windshield and side glass) coming out of right side defroster and dash vents. There is a fair amount of coolant in the foam insulation for the heater core and A/C lines in the passenger side footwell but no wet carpet.

Do the engineers who design this stuff ever think that someone may actually have to repair it someday?!

Any feedback would be appreciated and thanks.

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Yes, there are evil engineers and they even have a website: Evil Engineering My imagination runs with a thought that they have Evil Engineering gatherings where they swap stories about the poorly engineered crap that they have spawned and unleashed onto the public.

I helped a friend with a heater core swap on his 65 mustang. After looking at disassembling the dash he decided to take the sawsall to the heater box at the firewall. It certainly was eaiser, but all these years later it seems like a shame to have butchered such a nice car.

PS Anyone who engineers a car so that it costs nearly a grand to swap out the heater core should be taken out an shot. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

In an earlier life I had an '82 mustang in which the heater core popped and scalding hot water rushed onto my feet and legs. Fortunately, I was going to work and was wearing heavy leather boots at the time or I would have had 3rd degree burns on my feet. It was HOT. I got to work and had to route the heater core lines together, I seem to remember it was like 25F too and snowing, not a fun day.

I had to replace one in my brother-in-law's furd truck a couple of years ago. Had to remove the dash to get to it. My neighbor had done one just like it a couple of months earlier and said it took him and a friend 8-9 hours. I did it by myself in about 4 hours. If you can find a step by step guide, it might not be as bad as you think.

I had my Silverado in the shop this morning for 55k service and we were swapping stories and when I mentioned heater core r&amp;r he said that the book quotes 8.5 hours for a Ford Taurus heater core, but that it takes 10hrs! :shock: :shock: